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“How Can I Help You” Leads to Blessing

27Feb2017

“How Can I Help You” Leads to Blessing

by Ivan Misner & Beth Misner

Last night Beth and I were at a black-tie event together. We were milling around in the ballroom lobby with about 600 other guests, waiting for the grand doors to open, when Beth noticed a diminutive lady looking around as if she were lost.

“I think she needs some assistance,” she quietly said to me. When she got closer to us, Beth caught her eyes and smiled reassuringly.

“Excuse me,” she said breathlessly.

“How can I help you?” Beth asked her.

“Can you tell me, please, who is in charge of the event?”

Instead of simply pointing to the ballroom and telling her that the event organizer was inside preparing the room for the attendees, Beth shot a quick glance over her shoulder as if to say, “Just go with it,” to me, and gestured to her to follow us. The three of us started to move toward the closed doors.

It was then that I noticed she was wearing a press pass. A cameraman with a video camera and gear bag slung over his shoulder was trailing along behind her.

What was this?

We entered the ballroom and gave the large hall a quick look-over. No organizer. Understanding that it would not do to just leave her and her cameraman in the room, we invited her to come up to the very front. We showed her the table where the organizer could be found later on in the evening.

“I’m from a Chinese news affiliate out of New York,” she told us as we walked together to the front of the room. Now, it just so happened that my third book to be translated into Chinese, Masters of Sales, had been released the past week in the Chinese market. Beth simply could not resist the temptation to share that with her, as well as a friendly “nie-hou-ma,” to which she responded with great delight.

She then asked if it would be okay for her to interview me at the front of the room while we waited for the event organizer and the CEO of the event we were there to attend.

Hmmm, let’s see.

I paused for exactly a nanosecond before responding that it would be more than okay: “shiea-shiea,” Beth said, bowing slightly.

She spent the next 15 to 20 minutes interviewing me. We discussed networking tips, my new book, differences between American and Asian businesses, and a little bit about BNI. Please watch a segment of the interview below.

Therefore, it goes to show you that you just never know where that simple phrase: “How can I help you?” is going to lead. How have you used this phrase, and found that something fortuitous has happened?

2 thoughts on ““How Can I Help You” Leads to Blessing ”

A great example of caring about the person, which predictably brought the desired results. How often people are indifferent to each other. No interest or dismiss requests. And then wonder why they don’t achieve the success like other people.

When you reach out to strangers the most wonderful things happen. Sometimes they don’t, but you would be surprised how many times they do. All you have to do is reach out. It means the world to most people, especially strangers